“It’s an Earth thing. It originated from a group of textile workers who opposed new technology. Now it’s just an umbrella term for anyone who doesn’t like tech.”
“Ah, I see,” he chuckled. “Well then, point taken. And you will be seeing my Luddite origins momentarily.”
“We’re there already?”
“Nearly. The ship is a fast one, and we’ve covered a fair bit of distance.”
He moved to speak with the pilot, instructing them to set down in a field just outside of town as they didn’t have a dedicated landing site in the Oraku village. A minute later they were on the ground, waving their farewells to the ship as it silently lifted off and zipped away.
A group of men carrying bows, arrows, and spears, emerged from the trees. They looked like alien hunters, and from what Zepharos had explained, they truly were. All were the same pale green as he was, but they had a more wiry sort of build from hours and hours hunting prey on foot, where Zepharos was a far more muscular specimen.
The leader of the group approached first, clearly not surprised at seeing Zepharos using a flying craft while the rest of their kind avoided such technology. He was the rule-breaking bad boy of the village, after all. But it was the human woman at his side that raised quite a stir.
“A human?” the man said, not so much a question of her race as one of curiosity, wondering where he’d found her.
“Adzus, this is Maria. Maria, this is Adzus. He is the lead hunter of my people.”
Adzus bowed his head and placed his hand on his heart. “The Oraku welcome you.”
“Thank you,” she replied, bowing back. “I’m glad to be here.”
Adzus turned back to Zepharos, a questioning look on his face. “We should take her to see Rohanna.”
Zepharos nodded his agreement. “That was the plan. And send someone ahead to tell Darla and Shalia. We have another human coming to town.”
Adzus nodded to one of his men who took off running without a word. After so many years hunting together, they didn’t need them. “Please, follow,” he said. “And, again, welcome to our village.”
They walked a short distance, the untouched nature quitedifferent than the tropical spa area, but equally beautiful in its own way. It was no wonder these people chose to live with nature rather than carving out a space in it. The place was gorgeous.
The village came into view, a fascinating collection of wooden structures, what looked like some sort of adobe, and as expected, some large yurts and tents. It was off the grid, but by no means totally primitive. Rustic would be a better term.
“This way,” Adzus said, urging his guest to follow.
Maria did, Zepharos at her side as she nodded her greetings to the curious faces watching a new arrival. The vast majority were males, she noted.
That might explain why Zeph felt the need to leave town. Pretty bad dating potential with numbers like these. And lucky me he did.
Adzus shifted course to a structure with an open door. His hunter was standing there at attention, having already announced the arriving guest.
“They are coming,” he said to his leader as he passed.
“Thank you,” the man replied, then led the way inside.
Here we go,Maria thought, taking a deep breath and readying herself for whatever would come next.Time to meet the family.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Rohanna, the older woman who was the head of the Oraku people, was already across the room and at the door when her guest arrived. This was not the place for stuffy pomp and circumstance, but rather a much cozier, village-type vibe, and Maria felt immediately at-ease.
“Welcome! I am Rohanna, leader of the village, as I’m sure Zepharos told you before you even landed. And you must be Maria. Did I say that correctly? Sometimes the translation runes can be tricky with alien names.”
“You said it perfectly. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she replied with a slight bow.
Rohanna looked at the even older woman sitting nearby, the two cracking into unexpected laughter. “Oh, dear, there’s no need for that here. But thank you, your manners are as welcome as you are. This is Tikanna, the village elder.”
“I hate being called that,” the woman groused with a chuckle.
“Well, it’s true. Be glad, it’s better than the alternative,” Rohanna shot back, the two women clearly the dearest offriends. Tikanna shifted her attention to the new arrival, wiping her tears of laughter from her eyes.
